1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical information recording medium subjected to information write or read access with a laser, especially a semiconductor laser.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional optical disk, optically detectable pits (e.g., a size of about 1 .mu.m) are formed in a thin recording layer on a substrate to allow high-density recording of information in spiral or concentric tracks. In order to write information on such a disk, a laser spot formed on a laser-sensitive layer is scanned to form pits on only the irradiated surface portions. In this case, the pits are formed in a spiral or concentric form. The laser-sensitive layer (recording layer) absorbs laser energy and allows formation of optically detectable pits. For example, in a heat mode write system, a recording layer absorbs laser energy and an irradiated portion is locally heated and subjected to physical changes such as melting/evaporation or coagulation so as to cause an optical difference (e.g., reflectance or absorbance) between the irradiated and nonirradiated portions. Information can be read out by detecting such physical changes.
Examples of the conventional optical recording layer materials are a thin metal film (e.g., an aluminum deposition film), a thin bismuth film, or a thin tellurium film, and an inorganic material such as a chalcogenide-based amorphous glass film. These materials have advantages in that a thin film can be prepared by deposition, sputtering, or the like and has an absorption property in the near-infrared range so as to allow use of a semiconductor laser. However, these materials have disadvantages such as high reflectances, high heat conductances, and high specific heat values. In particular, the high reflectance disables effective utilization of laser energy. Laser energy required for recording must have a high level, and a large-capacity laser source must be used. As a result, the recording apparatus is undesirably bulky and expensive. Furthermore, thin telurium, bismuth and selenium films are undesirably toxic.
Under these circumstances, extensive studies have been recently made to develop optical memory media using thin dye films as recording layers since dyes provide a wide variety of absorbances, have large absorbances and small heat conductivities, and are easy to prepare and nontoxic. Typical examples of the dye are a cyanine dye (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 58-112790), an anthraquinone dye (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 58-224448), a naphthoquinone dye (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 58-224793), and a phthalocyanine dye (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 60-48396). These dyes may be used singly, mixed with a self-oxidizable resin, or used in the form of a composition obtained by chemically bonding such a dye to a self-oxidizable resin. The dye material is applied to a substrate by spinner coating/dipping method, a plasma method, or a vacuum deposition method to prepare an optical recording medium. The thin dye film has the above-mentioned advantages. In particular, the cyanine dye can have a structure for absorbing near-infrared rays and has high solvent solubility and low melting point. Therefore, the cyanine dye has received a great deal of attention.
However, the conventional dyes as described above are subjected to degradation by light, instability against heat, and degradation by humidity. These dyes are thus regarded as posing problems on reservation for long periods of time and read operation stability (stability with respect to read light). Various proposals for solving these problems have been presented. For example, a protective film is formed on the recording layer (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) Nos. 55-22961 and 57-66541); an antifading material is mixed with the conventional dye (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 59-55795); and a metal complex having absorbance in the range of long wavelengths is mixed in the conventional dye to prepare a recording layer (Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 59-215892). These proposals, however, cannot completely solve the problems as described above. These additives undesirably reduce a film formation property, a reflectance, and an absorbance.
Under these circumstances, a coating type recording medium using a cyanine dye represented by the following general formula has received a great deal of attention in favor of a high recording density and a reflectance: ##STR3## wherein A is 0, S, Se, or C; X is a halogen anion, e.g., BF.sub.4 -- or ClO.sub.4 --; and R is an alkyl group.
The film formation property and thermal/optical stability of the cyanine dye represented by the above general formula are essentially unsatisfactory. As to the film formation property, an increase in the number (n) of methine chains degrades solubility of the cyanine dye in a solvent. Solubility of the dye is changed according to the types of heterocyclic moieties at both ends and the types of substituent. As to thermal/optical stability, an increase in the number of methine chains causes instability against heat and light and oxidative degradation of the dye. Thermal/optical stability is known to vary according to the types of heterocyclic moieties.